Oil, water and gas separator for swaying service

ABSTRACT

A cylindrical vertical oil, water and gas separator that incorporates the known advantage of a horizontal flow path, when utilizing the force of gravity to separate a mixture of flowing fluids into distinct laminar layers, while providing a means for maintaining the dynamic equilibrium of the disparate layers of the fluids even when the oil, water and gas separator is swaying back and forth as might happen if the oil, water and gas separator is installed on the deck of a ship.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION.

[0001] This invention relates to apparatus and methods for processing a flowing mixture of oil, water and gas for the purpose of separating the oil water and gas into disparate components and cleaning each of the oil, water and gas components sufficiently for each to be delivered into oil, water and gas pipelines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The advantage of incorporating a horizontal flow path, as opposed to a vertical upward flow path, when using the force of gravity to separate oil, water and gas into disparate laminar layers is well known. With a vertical upward flow path the upward momentum presents a directly opposing force to the force of gravity, thus impeding the separation of the fluids much more than the resistance to the separation that is imposed when the flow is moving horizontally. To accomplish the horizontal flow path the containment vessels utilized are generally of an elongated horizontal cylindrical configuration with a length to diameter ratio exceeding 3:1 and with fluids stratified in relatively thin layers. This is a very efficient arrangement when the vessels are anchored and level but has the disadvantage of a minor longitudinal tilting causing the upper and the lower strata's to be pinched into a wedge shape that can greatly reduce the volumetric capacity allotted to a particular fluid and can cause misdirection of the various fluid flows.

[0003] This invention introduces a containment vessel that is configured to attain the processing advantages of the horizontal flow path relative to gravity separation while allowing for a severe tilting of the vessel without significantly changing the geometry of the fluid containment spaces or causing a misdirection of the fluid flow paths.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This invention is well suited for operation in oil fields anywhere a small footprint is desirable and is particularly well suited for processing petroleum flow streams originating from wells that are located at water bound locations such as the oceans, seas or lakes where the processing equipment is likely to be installed on the deck of ships, barges or floating production platforms whereon the equipment is subjected to a swaying motion due to the pitch and roll of the host structure caused by surface disturbance of the water upon which the host structure floats.

[0005] This invention provides for a much more efficient processing performance than is normally produced by containment vessels of a similar vertical cylindrical shape with the common upward flow direction or the elongated cylindrical horizontal configuration when exposed to a swaying motion in as much as this invention incorporates some novel internal structures within a vertical cylindrical containment vessel that direct the flow paths of the fluids in a substantially horizontal direction while maintaining a dynamic equilibrium of the flowing fluid strata's even when the containment vessel is subjected to considerable tilting and swaying.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is a side view schematic showing all of the essential elements of the preferred embodiment of this invention?

[0007]FIG. 2. is a cross section top view of the containment vessel showing one of the semi-circular baffles that serve to direct the flowing fluids in a horizontal flow path.

[0008]FIG. 3. is a cross section view of the portion of the vessel that contains the oil box and illustrates a configuration of the oil spillover weir?

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0009] (Referring to the Figures)

[0010] There is an enclosed vertical cylindrical containment vessel 1 with an inlet connection 2, a gas outlet connection 3, an oil outlet connection 4 with an oil discharge control valve 4 a, a water outlet connection 5 with a water discharge control valve 5 a, a water level sensor 6 and an oil level sensor 7. A solid circular baffle 8, to provide a confined space 1 a wherein gas vapor is separated from the flowing oil and water liquid mixture, partitions an upper portion of the containment vessel. A pipe 10 serves as a conduit to deliver the flowing oil and water mixture into the lower chamber 1 b wherein the liquid mixture is directed on a horizontal flow path. Semi-circular solid baffles 11 and 12 define a confined space 13 within which the oil and water interface 14 is established. Semi-circular solid baffles 15 and 16 serve to define a space in which the oil and water streams are directed on a horizontal flow path. To establish a plug flow of the oil and the water through their respective flow spaces it is advisable to incorporate a commercially available coalescing element 17 and 18 transverse to the flow path of each. The water is directed to a resting space 19 before it makes it's final exit.

[0011] The oil is directed to a resting space 20 in which the top oil level 21 is established by an overflow weir 22. Gas liberated in the lower chamber is evacuated into the upper chamber through a pipe conduit 9. The oil flows into a confined space wherein the upper oil level 23 is controlled by the oil level sensor 7. 

What I claim is:
 1. A vertical cylindrical containment vessel equipped to receive and separate into disparate laminar layers a flowing mixture of oil, water and gas; the vessel comprising a circular bulkhead to form an upper and a lower compartment within said containment vessel, a conduit penetrating and projecting downwardly from the bulkhead to deliver the oil and water from the upper compartment into the lower compartment, another conduit penetrating and projecting upwardly from the bulkhead to deliver gas from the lower compartment into the upper compartment, four or more semicircular partial bulkheads located in the lower compartment spaced apart and arranged in such a manner as to direct the liquid flow in the lower compartment on a generally horizontal flow path.
 2. A vessel as described by claim 1 including, transverse to the flow of the liquid, located in a space between at least two of the partial bulkheads, a coalescing means.
 3. A vessel as described by claim 1 including an oil collection box with a notched weir as a means for mitigating the effect of vessel tilt on the oil level.
 4. A vessel as described by claim 1 including the locating and configuring of the level sensors in such a way as to mitigate the effect of vessel tilt.
 5. A method using a vertical cylindrical containment vessel equipped to receive and separate into disparate laminar layers a flowing mixture of oil, water and gas; the vessel comprising a series of internal circular partial bulkheads arranged in such a manner that the edges of the partial bulkheads defining the open portion of said bulkheads overlap so as to form a rectangular substantially horizontal conduit through which the fluids must pass and in so doing causes the fluid to flow through the vertical vessel in a horizontal flow pattern thus reducing the forces that oppose the force of gravity in separating the fluids into disparate laminar layers. 